F1 TODAY | Alonso can work with Verstappen... for a fee! The Dutchman responds to Mercedes rumours

Fernando Alonso didn’t mince words when asked about Max Verstappen’s potential move to Mercedes, shutting down the question with a sharp, “I don’t know, and I don’t care.” The two drivers, who share six world titles between them, have long shown mutual respect in the paddock, but Alonso made it clear he’s staying out of the transfer rumour mill. With Verstappen’s name once again dominating headlines ahead of the British Grand Prix, Alonso wasn’t having any of it.

That said, the Spanish veteran couldn’t resist a tongue-in-cheek follow-up. “I can be a consultant,” Alonso quipped, “but they need to pay a huge amount of money.” With rumours flying around Silverstone, including Sky Italia’s claim that Verstappen is still weighing up a Mercedes move, the F1 driver market continues to be the talk of the paddock. And while Alonso isn’t offering any advice for free, the speculation around Verstappen’s future shows no signs of slowing down.

Max Verstappen may have insisted he has "nothing more to add," but the topic of a possible move to Mercedes was unavoidable at Silverstone. With reports heating up in recent days and Sky Italia stirring the pot, the Dutchman was met with a barrage of questions at Red Bull’s Energy Station. Verstappen maintained his stance from last week, reiterating that he wants to stay with Red Bull, but also hinting that certain conditions behind the scenes would need to change for that to remain the case. As previously reported by GPblog, that likely means a shift in Christian Horner’s internal authority.

When asked directly why his entourage has been in talks with Mercedes, Verstappen seemed slightly irritated. “Who says that?” he shot back, only to be told: “Mercedes.” Still, he shut it down with, “I have nothing to add to that.” With 2026 regulations on the horizon, switching teams now carries enormous risk, something Verstappen himself acknowledged by saying, “That’s why I have a contract with Red Bull.” Yet his reluctance to fully close the door on Mercedes suggests the story is far from over.